Evaluation of the Impact of Child Care Subsidy Program

Abstract

보육정책은 2012년부터 일부연령에 대한 전 계층 무상보육 정책이 시행됨에 따라 보편적 지원의 복지정책으로 성격이 바뀌기 시작하였다. 보육지원 정책의 확대를 통해 이루고자 한 정책의 목표는 아동의 건전한 발달을 기반으로, 가계의 양육비 부담을 경감시키고 일·가정양립을 지원하여 여성의 경제활동 증진에 기여하고 더 나아가서는 저출산을 완화하고자 하는 데에 있다. 본 연구에서는 보육지원 정책의 목표에 기반을 두어 관련 연구를 검토하고, 보육료 지원 대상 확대가 이루어지는 과정에서 가계양육 부담, 여성의 경제활동, 출산율 제고에 미친 영향을 중심으로 보육지원 정책의 확대 효과를 평가하고 있다.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the child care subsidy program that was made available in 2012 for all children aged 0-2 years and all 5 year olds, regardless of their household income. Before that, child care assistance was provided according to family income level. Policy evaluation was carried out in terms of the impact of the new program on household child care cost, women’s labor force participation, and the willingness to give birth. Our difference-in-difference regression analysis covered “infancy” (comparison between 0-2 year olds and 3-4 year olds) and “early childhood” (comparison between 4 year olds and 5 year olds). The effect of the new subsidy program differed between infancy and early childhood. In terms of household child care cost, there was an effect of reducing facility utilization fee and education costs for infancy and the policy effect was greater for households with working mothers. On the other hand, it was shown that there is a limited effect of reducing the facility utilization fee for the early childhood and the policy effect was greater for the households with non-working mothers. The expanded subsidy program was found to have increased the probability of women’s labor force participation for the high income group and increased the working hours for the middle income group. When it benefited infants, the child care subsidy program had the effect of increasing the probability of having a plan to have a child for the high income group; it also increased the intention of middle income group to have an additional child. The subsidy program reduced the probability of high income families with young children having a plan to have an additional child and increased the intention of lower income family to an additional child. Several policy implications can be drawn from these findings. The government needs to provide differentiated support for children of different age groups. In addition, the subsidy program should be linked to mothers’ employment status in a way to help them balance work and family. The government needs to strengthen its management and oversight of extra cost of daycare use.